Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

How many of you have described a task as “a pain in the ass?”

When confronted with an unwanted task, people often approach it in one of two ways:

  • Avoid it because it’s a pain in the ass or they don’t feel like doing it on a particular day; or
  • Rush through it because it “takes up too much time.”

Disclosure: I have been guilty of buying into the above excuses. It’s human nature. But what is it really about? Is it the task itself or the daily grind of doing the same thing over and over? I think that, for most people, it’s the latter.

I’m going to relate this to martial arts. But this post is about life as well. How long does it take to do the necessary task(s), especially if it relates to reaching some long-cherished goal? For example, I once timed myself performing Naihanchi Shodan/Tekki Shodan/Chulgi One (different language terms for the same kata) ten consecutive times. Further, as part of this experiment, I went through this kata slowly for all ten repetitions, focusing on each move.

To perform ten repetitions of this kata at deliberate moderate speed took me five minutes. That’s it. Suddenly, this doesn’t look like “a pain in the ass.” Imagine if you were to spend 15 minutes a day, every single day, at this pace, performing just this kata, you would end up with 10,950 repetitions of this kata and a deep understanding of the movement and its applications.

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Pick any Modern Arnis solo drill, and you’ll find the same result. It’s not quite a pain in the ass after all!

Yet, many people rush “through the steps to success” and focus on the outcome. The “steps to success” is often too much “of a pain in the ass.” But to achieve the desired outcome or goal, it’s necessary to go through the “steps to success” correctly and with attention to detail. Inch by inch, it’s a cinch. Yard by yard, it’s hard.

Time yourself with a stopwatch going through a martial arts task, personal or professional and you’d be surprised at the results. Most smartphones come equipped with a stopwatch or a timer. Give it a try. You just may find out that the onerous task may not be such a “pain in the ass” once you put it in its’ proper perspective.

This Week’s Video

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I focus on the transition from the whole hand lock to the standing centre lock. Often, a sub-optimal transition will result in a counter. A tighter, more compact transition will reduce the chance of your opponent countering you. Try it and see what you think!

Inspiration for the Week!

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Wow! 100 years old! This man’s drive to keep himself healthy and fit is impressive! While not everyone possesses the same drive, one can try to exercise regularly. By doing so, one can improve your quality of life and potentially live longer! I would wager that going to the gym is not a pain in the ass for this impressive gentleman!

Additional Reading